Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach Dressing

Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach DressingEating the rainbow is especially accessible in the summer when vibrant produce is freshly available. A salad like this provides a range of flavors, textures and nutrients through combining vegetables and fruits with seeds and legumes. Baby kale is a good leafy green for salad because the leaves are bite-sized and delicate, unlike more fibrous fully grown kale leaves. Snap peas and cucumber add freshness while golden beats and cherries provide sweetness and their own unique bold flavors. Edamame beans are a great legume to use for salads because they have a nutty flavor and firm texture. They are most convenient in bags from the freezer section when already shelled. I just measure out however many I need and defrost them quickly in the sink by placing them in a colander and pouring some hot water over them. All these ingredients come together with bright dressing made from blended peaches and lime juice. Adding fruits or vegetables to a dressing imparts a lot of flavor, enabling the oil, sugar and salt to be minimized to healthy, moderate amounts. Topping it with wild salmon and serving corn on the cob on the side makes it into a filling, seasonal meal.

Pumpkin seeds are not the most noticeable ingredient but they are an important nutritional component. They have a delicate enough flavor to not be overpowering in light summery salads and they are a great source of the mineral zinc. Heavy metals like lead and cadmium from household products, pipes and cigarette smoke can displace this important mineral and prevent it from being absorbed well. Zinc takes part in many functions in the body with some of the most notable being wound healing, immunity, tissue growth (all the way from development in the womb to maintenance for adults), reproductive health and cognitive function. There is a possible link between the rise of Autism and severe zinc deficiencies in children. Since deficiencies can have impacts on cognitive function and also be indicative of high levels of heavy metals, which is likely either a cause or symptom of Autism, this theory has some merit. Zinc deficiencies have a more concretely proven connection to Anorexia, a potentially fatal eating disorder and several studies and cases have seen impressive steps in recovery made possible by zinc supplementation.

Consuming more dietary zinc can help restore balance and ensure the body has sufficient levels to function well. Supplements are always available but finding what we need from food is usually the better option because nature has granted us with synergy- different nutrients in foods are better absorbed when combined with synergistic nutrients, often found together in the same ingredient. Pumpkin seeds are one of the best vegetarian sources (oysters, beef and turkey are some of the best overall sources) of zinc, along with a score of other nutrients. When pulled straight out of the whole pumpkin they have an edible cream coloured shell, but in the store this part is usually absent and just the smaller, flat greenish seeds also known as pepitas remain. The best place to get them, as with all nuts and seeds, is a health food or grocery store with a high turnover so that they are fresh. Once you have them at home it is best to store them in the fridge, where it is cold and dark so the oils don’t go rancid and their shelf life and nutrition extends longer. They can be thrown into salads, trail mix, energy balls, burger patties and anywhere else their nutty flavor would be complimentary.Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach Dressing

Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach Dressing
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
  • Salad
  • 4 cups baby kale
  • 2 cups shelled edamame
  • 2 cups snap peas, rough ends snipped off
  • 1½ cups cherries, pitted and halved (2 cups whole)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 4 small golden beets, peeled and sliced thinly (1/2 cup)
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
  • Peach Lime Dressing
  • 1½ cups peaches peeled and chopped (4 small or 2 large peaches)
  • 3 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from ½ lime)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • A few dashes each of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
  • Optional: ½ small garlic clove
  • Turn it into a meal
  • 1 lb fllet wild salmon (or 4¼ lb pieces)
  • 4-8 cobs of corn, husked
DIRECTIONS:
  1. If adding salmon preheat the oven to 400°, place the salmon skin side down and bake for 20 minutes.
  2. If serving corn on the side heat up a very large pan ⅔ full of water on the stove over high heat to boiling. Add in the corn, cook for 10-15 minutes depending on preference for doneness and remove with large kitchen tongs.
  3. Salad
  4. Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and toss to combine.
  5. Dressing
  6. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or magic bullet.

Cherry Edamame Salad with Peach Dressing

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